


A Day in the Spotlight

by TimeShadow_01



Series: The Wizarding World of Wilford Warfstache [4]
Category: Markiplier (YouTube RPF), markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Alternate Universe - Wizards, Cannibalism, Game Shows, Gen, Kidnapping, Minor Character Death, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:35:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24361435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeShadow_01/pseuds/TimeShadow_01
Summary: Dark has been betrayed by Marvin while looking for a lead on Wilford Warfstache. Now they must somehow survive the rigged death gauntlet that is Disc of Wishes.
Series: The Wizarding World of Wilford Warfstache [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758817
Kudos: 10





	A Day in the Spotlight

**Author's Note:**

> **HUGE WARNING** for this story: Bim Trimmer is a nasty trash man, and the story contains themes of murder, forced cannibalism, some torture, and general squidginess, especially after the last break. Please beware!

“Thank you all for watching this episode of ‘Disc of Wishes’! New episodes every Saturday at ten! I’m your host, Bim Trimmer, and I’ll be back tomorrow with the Live Special of this, the world’s most popular show, right after these messages!”

Dark woke up in a very bright room with the second worst headache they’d ever had pounding at their skull. A vanity sat in the opposite corner, framed by large glowing bulbs, with a red velvet cushioned stool placed in front of it. A clothing rack sat in the adjacent corner to Dark, filled with several black suits and a few colorful ones. The sound of the tv hanging off the wall over the mirror wasn’t helping with the headache much, and of course it had to be tuned to-

Bim Trimmer. The memories came flooding back. That damned magician Marvin had given them a lead on Warfstache, and Dark and Abe were sent to find Bim’s studio. They went to a seemingly abandoned building, and then… did they pass out? Where were they? Where was Abe?

The door burst open and in strode the one, the only, Mr. Trimmer himself. He sauntered over to the vanity mirror and slid into his seat, letting out a huge sigh as he started to fix up his makeup and hair.

“Hey! You! What the hell is going on?” Dark yelled. They tried to stand up from the director’s chair they were sitting in, but found themself unable to move. They glanced down as they moved to get up again, only to see a ring of purple sparks flaring around their chest and arms, binding them to the chair. 

“Oh yes!” Bim exclaimed, as if he had forgotten Dark’s presence. “Our dear guest! Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you. You’ll be on in just a minute, so you'd better get ready!” He stood up from the vanity and moved in front of Dark. He leaned down a bit so they were face-to-face, noses practically touching, and his face twisted into an unnaturally wide smile filled with sharp teeth. “I have to say, I’m very excited to finally meet you. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, ever since you made your debut at the Crime Department. You peaked my interest. It’s a shame really, the Committee wasting something as special as you on catching a common criminal. But I can give you the spotlight you deserve.”

“What are you-? Just let me go! Where’s Abe? And where’s Warfstache?” 

“No time to be thinking about that now, Darkie! You’ve got more important things to worry about.” Bim patted Dark’s face in an almost kind gesture, and then moved back to the vanity; picking up a familiar object and twirling it in his hands. “Like this cane of yours! Beautiful woodwork, lovely piece really- I can see why you would want it.”

Panic and anger flooded Dark’s mind as they saw him holding their cane. He couldn’t have it, it was given to them. It belonged to  _ them _ . They started struggling even more, pushing against the magical bonds as hard as they could. “Give that BACK!”

“Well, if you want it so badly, I’m sure we could make a deal for it,” Bim hummed, a hungry look in his eyes.

“A deal?” Dark snapped, fury burning in their eyes. “It’s not even yours! If you don’t give it back right now, I swear I’ll-”

Bim turned to Dark, over-dramatic offense written all over his face. “You break into my studio, insult me, and expect me to just hand you a valuable object of mine? I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a rush, so if that’s how you’re going to be then I’m going to have to get rid of this little trinket you seem so fond of.” He raised the cane in both hands, moving to smash it against the vanity.

“WAIT! Stop! I’ll do the deal, what do you want?!” Dark knew what he wanted, and they knew this was a bad idea. They knew what happened to people who made a deal with Bim Trimmer, but they didn’t have much of a choice. It was that, or.... they didn’t want to consider the alternative.

“Great! Wonderful! Fantastic!” Bim was beaming now, and tossed the cane in the air, catching it easily in the other hand. “You’re on in five, dear. Do your best, but don’t try too hard!”

Dark tried to say something, but before they could get a word out they suddenly found themself in a completely different room, and their splitting headache gone. They were standing behind a podium, and another purple ring of magic was preventing their feet from moving. Two other people stood to their left and right, one who looked rather calm, and the other who seemed very nervous. A curtain separated all of them from where Dark presumed the audience sat, and a large screen hung on the wall opposite it. 

“Ladies, gentlemen, and all other configurations of being, welcome to the wizarding world’s favorite show, Disc of Wishes!” Bim’s voice echoed all around the studio, followed by a chorus of cheers and applause. “The only show where you get a chance at winning anything you desire! I’m your host, Bim Trimmer, and here are the contestants!”

The curtain rose, and Dark found themself facing a full audience of laughing and cheering people. They all had unnaturally wide smiles, but Dark thought they could see a few of them crying. All of them, wizards and mundane, had been tricked into participating. Their only way out was to compete in the game show and win, something that was highly unlikely given the situation, and even if it did Bim would still never let them leave. And if they lost…

“First up we have, Mat!” Bim appeared next to the contestant on Dark’s left, wrapping his arm around the calm-looking man. “Hailing from somewhere-or-other, he’s a Life wizard who just wants his wife and kid back! Now isn’t that sweet? We all love a good dad, don’t we? Next up we have Ryan! Who, uh, I don’t know what he wants but that doesn’t really matter. And finally we have our very  _ special  _ guest from the Wizard Committee itself, Dark!” A chorus of applause and cheers went up from the audience as Bim leaned in closer to them, placing an arm over their shoulder and pulling them close to him. 

“Can you hear them?” Bim whispered, sending a chill down Dark’s spine. “They're begging to be in your place. They all want what you have. The thrill of death being only seconds away. How does the spotlight feel, Dark? Do you feel that rush, that delicious feeling of fear? I hope you do. It makes the soul that much...  _ tastier.” _ He licked his teeth before leaning back and suddenly appearing on his special podium. Dark felt another shiver run down their spine. They were in extreme mortal danger, and they weren’t sure how they were going to get out. 

“Now, my lovely viewers, let’s begin!” Bim pressed a button on his podium, jagged smile as wide as his face as lights lit up the contestants’ scoreboard and landed on the the Life wizard. Bim certainly didn’t  _ look  _ like he was evil, but Dark knew that they had very little chance of getting out of there alive.

“Mat! You’re up first, why don’t you give that wheel a spin?” Mat stepped up to the wheel, calm demeanor dropping for a brief moment. He raised his arms, grabbing hold onto the wheel and pulling down as hard as he could. The wheel spun and spun, until finally it landed on green.

“Ooh, green! What an interesting choice.” Bim pulled out a green card from seemingly nowhere. “Your first question is, how many known corrupted wizards are in the world at this very moment?”

Dark was focused. They had to get out of this place at any cost; they couldn’t lose, no matter what, even though winning didn’t guarantee anything. All it meant was that they would be put in the audience until the next week when the show aired again, and even then there was a chance of not being selected to participate. The most they could do was stall for time while they tried to figure a way out.

Dark slammed their hand down on the button provided, lighting up their podium first. Of course they knew the answer to this. They had to, as part of their job. “2876,” they said confidently. There was no way they could get this wrong.

“And you are  _ wrong _ !” Bim announced, his mouth pulling down in an over-exaggerated frown. “Would anyone like to go for the steal? Ryan? No? Well, that’s too bad!” A buzzer went off, indicating that time was up. “The correct answer is 287 _ 7!  _ Ooh, that’s a bit embarrassing now, isn’t it?” The audience laughed. Someone yelled a comment about how Dark was an idiot. Dark themself was confused. Surely there couldn’t have been a new corruption case, right? They’d only been there for less than a day.

“And now for the next question- Ryan, would you spin the Disc of Wishes?” Mat walked back behind his podium, muttering random facts to himself to refresh his memory as Ryan spun the wheel.

“Ooh, and looks like it’s blue this time! And your second question is… ‘How many corrupted souls are in this room?’”

Dark buzzed in again. They hesitated for a moment, before locking eyes with Bim. “Two,” they said, their confident voice wavering ever so slightly.

“Now, now, Dark, I really thought you’d be better at this,” Bim shook his head in a dramatic fashion, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. “We both know that answer is… _ incorrect! _ ” His voice boomed with enthusiasm, prompting an equally enthusiastic round of jeers from the audience. Bim posed dramatically before moving on. “Alright, folks. Next up is an elimination round! Next contestant to get a question wrong is  _ out of the game! _ Dark, you’re up! Spin the wheel and decide their fate!” 

Dark moved around their podium, the magic holding them in place removed just long enough for them to participate in this part of the game. They stepped up to the wheel. They were safe for this round, but who knew how much longer it would last? They spun the wheel, and then immediately walked back to their podium. They wanted to keep as much space between themself and the show’s host as possible. As soon they arrived back to their spot, the wheel stopped.

“Red!” called out Bim. “Your question is a simple mundane history question, so good luck!” Ryan buzzed in before Bim could read the question. “Eager, are we? Ah well, here’s your question.‘What are the exact coordinates of where the third cousin of the person who invented toothpaste is buried?’”

“W-wait…” Ryan managed to stutter out before getting cut off by Bim.

“Time’s up! Sorry, Ryan, but you didn’t answer my question fast enough! You have been eliminated!” He dramatically pressed another button on his podium, causing a trapdoor beneath Ryan’s feet to open up. His screams were drowned out by the cheering audience. “I’ll be seeing you after the show,” Bim muttered in a satisfied tone to himself, eyeing the trapdoor with a hungry look. Dark stared down at the empty space as it quickly closed. They felt a pang of guilt for the poor mundane. Knowing the horror stories they’d heard of Bim at the Crime Department, Ryan was practically already dead.

“Oh well, he tried his best, though it was still pretty bad.” Bim said, checking his nails to highlight his disinterest. “The show must go on, so let’s move on to the next round!” He placed his hands on the podium, casually brushing up against another button. A chime from above the stage ran out, prompting a knowing round of applause from the lucid audience. Feigning surprise, Bim let out a dramatic gasp.

“You know what this means!” he excitedly shouted. “We get another elimination round!” Dark gripped the sides of their own podium, their anxiety about the game flaring up again. They had to get this next question right to make it to the finale, but that would also mean leaving their opponent to their very certain death. Dark glanced over at Mat, who was tightly gripping his own podium, before snapping their attention back to Bim. They had to focus. They couldn’t worry about Mat now, no matter how much it pained them. They had to get out alive, by any means necessary. 

“Mat! Your turn at the wheel again!” Bim announced, the contestant shakily walking up to the wheel, giving it a weak spin. “Oh, pink! One of my favorite colors!” The host grinned as Mat shuffled back to his podium, hands shaking. “Your questions is, who is backstage right now?”

Dark was taken aback. What kind of question was that? They hadn’t had the chance to see the backstage area, as they were teleported directly onto the stage. They looked at the wheel again, and it hit them. Maybe Marvin was right after all. They hit the buzzer.

“Warfstache! Wilford Warfstache!” Dark shouted. Bim smirked before snapping his fingers, prompting the screen opposite the curtain to flicker to life, revealing footage from the backstage area. And sure enough, there was Wilford; wearing a bright pink suit under his trenchcoat and standing by a table covered in ornate food. He glanced up and waved to the camera.

“Correct!” Bim grinned, turning to the screen. “Will, darling, do you really have to wear that gaudy coat to cover your suit?” Wilford’s only response was to shrug and stuff a sizzling barbecued hot dog in his mouth. “Well, everything looks good on you anyways so it-” Bim interrupted himself by clearing his throat and looking away from the screen, fumbling as he searched for the right button. 

The screen finally shut off, and Bim turned his attention back to his captives. “Since Dark correctly guessed the answer, I’m sorry, Mat. This is the end of the line for you!” He dramatically pressed one of the buttons again, and just like that, Dark was trapped alone onstage with the most prolific serial killer in wizard history. 

“Now isn’t this exciting, folks? One contestant left, and I know I’ll be having a hearty meal tonight. But before we continue, let’s have a short break, after which we’ll have a word from today’s very special sponsor! See you soon!” The curtains closed as the audience cheered once again. Bim stretched out, before walking over and leaning on the podium in front of Dark, inches away from their face again. “Oh that was a wonderful performance. I have to say, I’m really killing it out there!” 

Dark kept their composure as the madman leaned in close. “You’re insane.” Bim paused at this, his signature smile fading for the first time since they met. 

“Enjoy your break, Dark,” Bim snapped, lips curling in a malicious fanged grin. “You might not be so lucky in the next round.” He stalked off, disappearing behind a curtain. Dark felt the weight lift from their feet and looked down. The magical barrier keeping them in place was lifted. They took the opportunity to run after Bim, pushing back the curtain. They found themselves in the backstage area, Bim already missing from sight. They did however, spot a figure clad in pink, leaning over the buffet.

“You!” Dark cried out, running toward the confused thief. They raised their fist to attack, only to find themselves frozen in place, inches from Warfstache. They glanced sideways at their arm, trapped in place by the same purple energy as earlier.

“Now, now, Dark,” Bim called out from behind them, placing a hand on their immobile shoulder. “You can’t just go around trying to hurt my guests! How impolite!” 

“Let. Me. Go.” they hissed through gritted teeth.

“Only if you promise not to attack my, ah,  _ friend _ here,” Bim crooned, leaning on their shoulder and twirling a strand of Dark’s hair around his finger. Dark shuddered at the unwanted contact. 

“Fine.”

“Wonderful!” Bim cheered, and with a flourish of his hand, Dark was free to move again. They took a couple steps back from Bim and rubbed their wrist, still stinging from direct exposure to the corrupted magic. Bim had already wandered somewhere else, no doubt checking his appearance in the dressing room again. They faced down their old foe once more, who had somehow found a martini at the buffet table. He simply stared back at Dark, until they broke the silence.

“For someone who keeps insisting that they’re not a criminal, you sure keep some questionable company,” Dark huffed, crossing his arms. 

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about,” Wilford raised the glass to take a sip, finding it once again stuck on his mustache, as it always seemed to be.

“Oh please, first that ridiculous conman, and now with.. with fucking _Wizard Satan_?! You do know what he does to people who lose at his stupid little game show, right? He consumes their souls!” Dark shouted, frustrated at how nonchalant Wilford was about all this. “And who knows what he even does with the bodies, I mean…” they trailed off, running a hand through their hair. “Ugh, I don’t have time for this. I just have to get out of here and contact Abe, then I can go back to chasing _you_.” 

Wilford shrugged in response. “Seems like you have this all planned out.”

“Yeah, well, I still have to win the game, which I know for certain is rigged against me.” They glanced down, spotting a flash of gold from inside Wilford’s coat. “You could always make this easier for me if you just handed over the Time Wand.”

“Not a chance.”

“It was worth a shot,” Dark mumbled. “What are you doing here anyways?”

“Who knows?” he shrugged again. “Bim invited me to watch the filming. He also mentioned getting dinner after the show but he seemed really nervous so who knows what that was about…” Dark stared at him for a moment before realizing what he meant. They let out a tired sigh and pinched the bridge of their nose.

“Oh.. my god…” they muttered. “Of  _ course  _ you two are da-”

“Five minutes to showtime!” Bim announced as he strode back into the room. He stopped behind Dark, grabbing their shoulders and massaging them a bit, like a cat kneading its prey. “I am  _ so  _ looking forward for the finale, aren’t you? It’s going to be a show to die for!”

“I’m thrilled,” they said, their words dripping with sarcasm. They took a deliberate step forward, shoving their captor’s hands away as they turned to face him. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“That’s the spirit!” Bim clasped his hands together, chuckling a bit to himself. “We’re back on soon, so why don’t you get yourself back onstage?” He made shooing motions for Dark to leave, and as they started to he walked very close behind them. They tried to walk faster to get to a comfortable distance away, but the creep stayed only a couple steps behind them the entire time. They had just barely stepped into place behind their podium before the magic restraints once more bound their feet in place, and the curtain rose to reveal the cheering audience members.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to this special episode of Disc! Of! WISHES! I’m your host, Bim Trimmer, and we have a very special sponsor for today’s episode! He should be waking up about now...” Bim announced. Dark wasn’t paying much attention. The ‘sponsor’ bit usually featured the previous episode’s winner, or the latest detective from the team assigned on a suicide mission to stop Bim.

“Let me introduce to you, the Wizard Committee’s very own Head of the Crime Department, Abe Lincoln! Let’s give him a round of applause, everybody!” The screen on the wall opposite the curtain lit up again, once more showing footage of a banquet table. But this time it was in what looked to be a kitchen, and it was covered in what looked like cooked meat. Abe was sitting slumped in a chair next to it, strapped down by the same magic keeping Dark at their podium. The audience cheered. He groggily sat up, eyes widening when he realized where he was. He thrashed against the restraints. Dark could tell that he was yelling something, but the camera feed didn’t have any sound. 

A look of pure panic washed over Dark’s face, followed by one of anger. They gripped their podium, and pointed at Bim with a shaky hand. 

“I swear if you hurt him, I’ll-” they spat before being interrupted.

“I wouldn’t  _ dream _ of hurting my special guest!” Bim laughed, placing a hand over his heart. “I’m not a  _ monster _ , Dark!” Dark wasn’t so sure of that, but they weren’t really in a position to be arguing. “Now, Abe, darling, you must be absolutely  _ starving! _ It  _ has _ been two days after all, and you haven’t eaten a thing.”

Dark and Abe both went wide-eyed with shock. Two  _ days? _ Dark shook his head. It couldn’t be. They’d only arrived a few hours ago. It was still Thursday, wasn’t it? It had to be, Bim’s show only aired on— Dark let out a groan. Bim’s show aired on  _ Saturdays. _ They eyed the large, glowing block letters over Bim’s head that read,  _ “Disc of Wishes: LIVE!” _

“What will you start with, Abe?” Bim asked excitedly, eyes scanning the feast layed out in front of the detective as if  _ he _ were the one starving, and not his guest. “Given your core, I’m sure you’d  _ love _ the pig heart in gelatin. Perhaps, though, the duck confit? Or the cassoulet? What will it be?”

Abe eyed the dishes placed in front of him, looking as though he were seriously considering tasting one of the still-warm dishes. Dark looked them over as well, though with more suspicion than interest. Something didn’t sit right with them about the ornate meat spread.

Dark’s gaze landed on the ‘pig heart in gelatin,’ as Bim had called it. Abe had reached forward and pulled the dish towards himself, and was holding a fork over it, trying to figure out the best angle to go at the large portion.

Dark’s heart skipped a beat as they got a better look at the heart. They’d  _ seen _ pig’s heart. They’d had it a few times at fancy parties. Whatever Abe was hesitantly scooping onto his fork was  _ not _ pig’s heart, and suddenly Dark knew what Bim did with the bodies. 

“Abe, wait!” Dark cried out loud enough for their voice to be heard backstage by Abe, making both him and Bim look at them. “That’s not pig, that’s human!”

Abe eyes went wide with shock as he gagged and spat the meat back into the dish, face turning green as he put a hand over his mouth.

Bim frowned. “Well, aren’t you one to ruin surprises,” he huffed, glaring down at Dark. “I was going to tell him later, but I suppose I could tell him now, since you were a bit impatient.”

“Tell him what?” Dark asked nervously. “He already knows that’s not a pig’s heart.” What else was there to say?

“Well, his core isn’t the  _ only _ connection dear Abe has to this particular heart,” Bim explained. Abe looked down at the heart and back up at the screen. “I believe the fellow’s name was… oh, what was it? Ah, I remember! Evets Anderson.” Dark could see the color drain from Abe’s face. “I believe he was an old partner of yours, wasn’t he? Lovely contestant. He would have won, if it wasn’t for that tricky math question.”

Dark watched Abe’s eyes roll back in his head. The detective slumped over in his seat, passed out from shock. Bim frowned with disappointment.

“I’m coming for you, Abe!” Dark cried out, leaning forward. “Just hold on a little longer!”

“Don’t worry Dark, you’ll be joining him soon enough, in one way or another!” Bim laughed, clapping his hands together and turning to address the audience. “Now, we have a game to finish! Since this is our grand finale, we have some special rules! I will ask our last contestant a series of personal questions, to see how much they really know about themselves. If they get three wrong, they lose!”

Bim didn’t even bother with the wheel this time around, instead simply whipping out a white card covered in golden glitter. The audience waited with baited breath.

“And your first question is… ‘Who was the last person you dated?’ Ooh, now isn’t this an interesting one?” Bim leaned forwards on his podium, resting his head on one hand and the other hand on his hip, smirking self-righteously. 

Dark stopped. They knew these questions were going to be rigged, but they didn’t think they were going to be  _ this _ hard. They had almost run out of time before they realized they had to answer. 

“No one,” they said, fingers pressing hard against their podium, violent red sparks beginning to form at the tips. They just had to gather enough power, and then they could break free. 

“No one? Are you sure? Well, I’m very happy to say, you are incorrect!” Bim laughed, and so did the audience. Dark cursed under their breath, prompting Bim to suddenly appear next to them and place a finger on their lips. “Ah aahh, this is a family friendly show, Darkling!” 

“Now, dear viewers for the next question!” Bim announced, reappearing back at his podium. He produced another card, this time having to shake off the large pile of glitter. Some of it managed to find its way to Dark, who shifted backwards to avoid it, while trying not to reveal that they had almost gotten one foot loose from the magical restraints. 

“What is the worst pain you have ever felt?” This question made Dark stop and think. What  _ was _ the worst pain they’d ever felt? Mental pain? Physical? They’d gotten hurt a lot over the years, but if they had to pick…

“…Being tu-… no, I can’t… that time on a case when I broke a leg. I had to walk with my cane for weeks.” 

“Ah yes, your cane, the one you are  _ so _ close to winning back. Unfortunately, you are _ incorrect _ ! You almost answered correctly too, you were so close!” Bim flashed a sharp toothy grin. “That's strike two, Darkie! One more and you're out!”

Dark gritted their teeth. They were this close to breaking free, they just had to get this last one right and they could do it. 

“Now for your next question! Be careful, it may be your last! What is… your real name?” Bim leaned on his podium, hand hovering over the panel of buttons. Dark was taken aback, it was such a simple yet impossible question to answer. They settled back, pulling at their coat.

“It's Dark,” they said with a flat tone. 

“That is incorrect!” Bim chuckled. “However, I'm feeling quite generous tonight. I'll give you another shot to answer the question, truthfully this time. Now tell me,  _ what is your real name? _ ” he punctuated each word with a drum of his fingers on the podium. It was obvious he could hardly contain his excitement. 

“My name is  _ Dark _ ,” they answered, bracing their arm against the podium. They almost had their other foot free. If they could just last a few more seconds they’d be able to run. Maybe they could go through the audience, or backstage, or make a detour to punch that creepy fucker in the face. On second thought, they wanted to get as far away from him as possible. The sooner they could find Abe and get out of this studio, the better.

“Incorrect again, ‘ _Dark_ ’. I wish I could say I was disappointed, but this is an opportunity I simply can't pass up.” Bim smiled wider than what seemed humanly possible, showing off each sharp tooth, and Dark could swear they could see his eyes shine brighter in a purple hue. “You lose! Thank you for playing Disc of Wishes! See you soon!” He lifted his arm high up in the air before bringing his finger down on the button. 

In the split second before the trap door opened, there was a blinding explosion of red, blue, and purple light. Bim stumbled back, shielding his eyes. 

“What the hell?!” Bim yelled. Dark had no time to hesitate, they sprinted from the podium, tearing away the curtain to backstage, the audience's boos and screams drowning out into the background.

Dark grinned as they turned around the corner to Bim’s dressing room. Cane first, then Abe, and then they could finally get out of this damned studio. They would never have to see Bim’s face again, and they could get back to chasing after Wilford.

Just as Dark reached the dressing room door, they felt a tug in their chest, and suddenly they were being yanked backwards, dragged back towards the stage. They tried to grab onto nearby objects to stop themself, or dig their heels into the ground to at least slow down, but to no avail. Before they could figure out what was going on or how to stop it, they were thrust back onto the now empty stage, directly under a large spotlight.

“That was quite the escape attempt!” Bim laughed. “I must say, I’m quite impressed with your little trick! However, you  _ did _ lose, and rules are rules!”

Dark was helpless as a large hole opened up beneath them, and they were plunged into darkness. The last thing they saw before they lost consciousness was Bim’s illuminated face, smiling down at them.

.

.

.

Dark woke up tied to another director’s chair. This time, however, they weren’t in Bim’s dressing room. The area around them was pitch black, only interrupted by a few illuminated cages of various sizes, a couple of which held dead or dying animals. The cages to Dark’s left and right held Mat and Ryan respectively, but they didn’t seem to be themselves anymore. Both of them stood motionless in the centers of their cages, eyes half closed and lightless. They both looked like mindless, soulless… husks…

Dark felt the blood drain from their face as they realized where they were. This was where the contestants went. Where they all, one by one, lost their souls to Bim Trimmer. Dark tried to twist around in their seat, attempting to get a good look at how many cages were around them, but only a few others were illuminated, and it was hard to judge how many sat in the darkness.

“How cute,” Bim’s voice hummed from the blackness in front of Dark. “You really did think you could get away from me.” He stepped in to the edge of the light, and Dark suddenly noticed the large circle their chair was sitting in the center of. A few concentric circles closed in around Dark, filled with strange, Dark Age symbols that dredged up bad memories. It flashed purple as Bim’s polished shoe touched its edge. “I do love when my dinner has some fight in it. Gives the soul extra spice.”

Dark’s breathing quickened, and they swung their head around wildly, searching desperately for some sort of escape. There had to be some way to escape, right? They attempted to push against Bim’s magic with their own, but it only seemed to backfire, the bonds tightening against them, searing into their skin and making them let out a strangled cry.

“You’re still trying to escape?” Bim sighed, walking forward until he was directly in front of Dark. “I told you before, Darkiepoo, rules are rules. You lost, and now you’re all mine.” Bim let out a deep chuckle and ran his tongue over his jagged teeth as he bent down to look Dark dead in the eyes. Dark tensed and tried to lean away as much as they could. The show host took in a deep breath through his nose and leaned in too close for comfort, flicking out his tongue and brushing it against Dark’s face. They nearly gagged as Bim let out a pleased sigh. “You taste so good already. You really  _ will _ be a treat. I’m so lucky to get someone like yourself, you’re practically a three-course meal all on your own. But don’t worry, I’m not going to indulge myself right away. I’m going to savor this, perhaps keep a little memento? Maybe one of those pretty eyeballs of yours. I could put it in a little jar in my dressing room, to remember you by.”

Bim pulled away, looking over Dark like a tiger ready to pounce on a cornered deer. He walked back to the edge of the circle, brushing the floor with one hand as he knelt. Dark shut their eyes, but opened them quickly as they heard something solid being placed on the ground. Their cane. It shimmered in the spotlight, so close, yet more out of reach than ever before.

Dark squeezed their eyes shut again as Bim began muttering unintelligible words and the circle started to glow a royal purple hue. Dark felt their mouth being pried open by thin, magic-made fingers. They could sense the restraints on their wrists and ankles fall away, but it didn’t even matter at this point, they were so terrified they couldn’t move. They gagged as the hand began to force itself down their throat. Dark’s head was filled with an ear splitting sound, and they could feel themself losing consciousness again. Tears welled up in their eyes as searing pain burned their mouth and neck and they gagged again, choking on the corrupted dark magic. This was it. They were going to die here. Abe wouldn’t even know what had happened to them, and they were going to die alone. They didn’t even have enough energy to scream. 

Suddenly, the hand was gone, and Dark coughed and sputtered as they took in several quick deep breaths, the air burning their damaged throat. They- they were still alive? They opened their eyes and looked around wildly, eyes landing quickly on something bright pink and yellow. Wilford? The thief stood toe to toe with Bim, tangled in a passionate embrace that made Dark avert their eyes and look down at the ground. They weren’t sure how or when Wilford had gotten here, but it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that, whether on accident or not, Wilford’s left foot had shifted towards Dark, smudging the edge of the circle. Dark could feel a weight lift off of them.

As silently as they could, while Bim was still occupied, Dark slipped out of the chair and into the darkness, grabbing their cane as they did. They had to get out while they could, before he noticed they were gone. Dark took one glance back at Bim and Wilford, sending a reluctant thank you nod to the pink bastard.

Dark felt their way to the wall, almost bumping into more cages than they could count. As their eyes adjusted to the blackness, they could finally see a rectangular hole in the wall close to them, with stairs leading upward into more darkness. Dark picked up their pace and practically scrambled up the stairs, pushing out through a trapdoor in Bim’s dressing room. They closed the door behind them, pulling the vanity over it for extra measure. Now they just needed to find Abe, and they could get out of there.

Dark walked quickly through the halls, trying to be as quiet as possible. The whole studio had an air of one of those places that either needed to be consumed with noise or dead quiet, and right now it was definitely the latter. The whole place felt like a maze, and Dark was starting to lose hope that they would  _ ever _ find Abe.

They pulled one last door open at the far end of a hallway, and their spirits lifted as they saw the table in front of them, still covered in a large array of food. Abe wasn’t at his seat anymore, instead curled up in the far corner, his whole body shaking and his eyes wide as tears ran down his face.

“Abe?” Dark said softly, voice sore and scratchy. The head detective jumped, scrambling against the wall. He relaxed when he saw Dark, and he stood up quickly, smoothing out his coat and clearing his throat.

“Took you long enough,” Abe grumbled, glaring down at the floor as he walked over to Dark.

“I was busy getting my soul almost removed,” Dark whispered hoarsely. They tensed at first when Abe wrapped one arm around their shoulders, but soon relaxed, returning the gesture. Their tone was kinder when they spoke again. “Are you good to walk?”

Abe nodded and removed his arm. “I never want to see this fucking studio again as long as I live,” the detective said firmly, eyes betraying his fear as he looked over at Dark. 

“The feeling’s mutual. Now let’s get out of here quick, before he realizes we’re gone,” Dark said, turning quick to go back the way they came. They weren’t looking forward to navigating the maze of hallways again, but the sooner they tried the better. 

It took about five minutes before the two found a door that lead to the abandoned warehouse they had entered in. As soon as the door closed behind them, Dark glanced at it to see that it didn’t exist anymore, and in its place was a plain wall. They sighed, shuddering once more as thoughts of the disturbing show host crossed their mind. Focusing their magic, they formed a quick communicator and sent a short message to the Committee with their location and a request to be quick. They would already know the two needed help, and a lot of it. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, he's... always like that. If you enjoyed the art or the story, please join us on Tumblr at https://wwoww-au.tumblr.com/ or on Discord at https://discord.gg/4VgYQsw to check out more content!


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